


The Wizard, The Vampire, and a Mediocre Wardrobe

by Just__Sparks



Series: A Very Merthur October 2018 [4]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Alternate Universe - Twilight Fusion, F/F, F/M, M/M, Vampire!Arthur
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-29
Updated: 2018-10-29
Packaged: 2019-08-09 13:47:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16451132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Just__Sparks/pseuds/Just__Sparks
Summary: It's a Merthur/Twilight fusion, because reasons.Disclaimer: I own nothing, of course.





	The Wizard, The Vampire, and a Mediocre Wardrobe

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is dedicated to the one and only Plu of Merlin fandom and Merlin chat, whose love of vampires, as well as her kindness, knows no bounds. As she has never read or watched Twilight, I hope I do her expectations justice!
> 
> Now, for a few notes. As I was reading and researching for this fic, I learned a lot about the Quileute tribe on their own, and how the whole franchise of Twilight impacted them, as well as their tribe. For this reason, they have been taken out of my version of Twilight. I cannot in good conscience, culturally appropriate their culture, especially because unlike Summit entertainment and Stephenie Meyer, I have no money to give them afterwards to make up for it. (Yes that was a jab at them, and if you want to know more a simple Google search will explain it all.)
> 
> Anyways, other than that, a few other major and minor things will be altered, because YAY! Fanfic! (One of these being Merlin is 18 rather than 17) Other than that, the same plot format can be expected.
> 
> Without further ado, to anyone who reads, I hope you enjoy.

                 Forks, Washington - it was nothing like Arizona, with its heat and dust. Merlin would miss Phoenix for the warmth, and his mother, who loved him dearly. Moving, he knew, was the right decision though, even if it left so much gray area. His mother had assured him as much; Washington provided cover, a hiding place of sorts, beneath its tall trees and near constant cover of rain. He would miss the sun and all of the light it had to offer, but keeping his secret was of the utmost importance, and if he were to stay in Phoenix, he had no doubt that it would be almost impossible to do so any longer. 

                 Since his mother, Hunith, had divorced his father, Balinor, he had lived with her, miles and miles from the man who was more like him than his mother cared to admit. For years, she had convinced Merlin that perhaps it would be best to suppress that part of him, hiding himself away from anything that might encourage his use of the very thing that felt so innate as breathing. Times had since changed.

                 Merlin did not blame her for the desire to keep his gifts hidden, as she only meant to protect him. The time for that, as he had learnt, was over.  That is why, he hugged his mother with his small cactus in hand, and boarded a plane to live with his father Balinor; a police chief of Forks, as well as a virtual stranger.

* * *

                  Balinor was not one to mince words. The drive from the airport to Merlin's childhood home was punctuated by the sounds of other cars around them and not much else. The views, as he remembered, more than made up for the lack of conversation between father and son.

                  Washington, after all, remained a beautiful state, with verdant trees, and vast bodies of water. Forks, although small in comparison to Phoenix, was situated close to the Pacific Ocean, as well as Olympic National Park. Merlin knew that even if the adjustment period was rough, he at least had the nature around him to keep him company.

                  After hours of silence, which had begun at SeaTac airport in Seattle, the two finally pulled into the four bedroom, two bath house with the numbers 184 tacked on the front; the place where Merlin's life had all begun. Once in the drive, both men made quick work of what luggage he had brought with him.

                  The two ascended the stairs, laden with all of Merlin's life in just a few bags. He had been adamant that he take everything with him, should he decide to stay. Graduation was only a short way off, and he could not imagine returning to the state of fear he had found himself back in The Grand Canyon State.

                   It did not surprise Merlin when he found his room exactly as he had left it, a handful of years ago. At one time, he had spent a few weeks with his father in the summer every year, as that was the most his mother trusted him with,  but it had been years. 

                  "Cleared a shelf off in the bathroom," Balinor stated, matter of factly, after he placed Merlin's suitcase on the ground.

                  Startled by the sudden sound of a voice beside him, it took Merlin a second to respond. When he did, it was short and simple.

                 "Oh right, one bathroom."

                 Once all bags were upstairs, Balinor stood there for a moment, and gazed his son up and down. 

                 "I'm glad you're here, son."

                 After that, his father vanished to acquire food, Merlin presumed. 

                 One of the best things about Balinor, Merlin had long since decided, was that he didn't hover.

* * *

                 Not long after Merlin had begun to settle in, a honk sounded out into the evening, emanating from directly below where his bedroom window faced out above the driveway. Glancing downward, he was met with the sight of a familiar 1963 Chevy StepSide C10 pickup, and one of his childhood friends; Gwaine Greene. As fast as his legs would carry him, Merlin was down the stairs and out of the front door, to greet the visitors.

                  Balinor, in a rare move, was leaned up casually against the old truck, which had been a staple of Merlin and Gwaine's childhood. In his younger years, Gaius had driven the pair to numerous places in it, and many fond memories were made. Although Gaius had not been Gwaine's father from birth, he and his wife Alice had adopted him after his parents had gone to an early grave, and in doing so set the stage for what would later become a friendship that would last a lifetime. 

                  In a wheelchair now, with hair whiter than Merlin remembered, Gaius sat looking up at Merlin with bright eyes. Gwaine, looking much older than when they had seen each other last, had a face that would could charm anybody a mile away. 

                 "Merlin, you remember Gaius Green?"

                 Merlin stopped walking, and nodded with a smile to follow.

                 "Of course, I remember him. He was practically a second father to me," said Merlin to Balinor, and then he focused on Gaius.

                 "You're looking good."

                 Merlin reached out and shook Gaius' hand, before returning his eyes to Gwaine.

                 "It's good to see you, Merlin. I sure am glad you're finally here, Merlin. Balinor hasn't ceased talking about your move here since you informed him you'd be coming." 

                 Balinor made a pained expression, and rolled his eyes.

                "Alright, continue exaggerating, and I'll roll you into the mud."

                Merlin's eyes widened, before he noticed Gaius' amusement with his father.

                "Not if I ram you in the ankles first."

                After issuing the challenge, the two elder men stepped aside and began horse playing in the middle of the street. Merlin was surprised, but grateful to see his father having a bit of fun.

                Gwaine stepped up beside Merlin and opened his arms for a hug, which Merlin readily accepted.

                "It's good to see you Merls."

                "You too Gwaine."

                After the embrace, the two looked out at their respective fathers.

                Merlin angled his body slightly towards Gwaine.

               "Are they always like this?"

               "It's getting worse with old age."

               The mirth in Gwaine's eyes put Merlin more at ease. As much as he had preferred the silence before, it was nice to have some normal human interaction. A moment later however, both Balinor and Gaius came back over to the pair of old friends.

                Balinor laid a hand on the top of the tailgate of the old truck, and then glanced at Merlin. 

              "So, what do you think?"

               "About what?"

               "It's your homecoming present."

                "This?" 

                Merlin gestured back towards the vehicle behind him incredulously.

                 Balinor nodded.

                 "I just bought it off of Gaius here."

                 "I rebuilt the whole engine," Gwaine chimed in.

                 Merlin was shocked for a moment, before he looked over all of them and exclaimed, "Wow, this is perfect. Thank you so much."

                 He breathed a sigh of relief mentally, as he realized this meant no more awkward car rides anywhere.

                 Together, Merlin and Gwaine moved forward, as they were both eager to hop in. Merlin accidentally hit Gwaine in the shoulder as he passed the driver's side door. After a quick apology, the two were in the truck seconds later. Outside, through the rolled down window, he could hear Gaius and Balinor talking.

                 "I knew he would love it."

                 Balinor muttered something gruffly, but whatever it was, it sounded like it was in agreement with the previous statement. 

                 Inside the vehicle, Gwaine was talking a mile a minute about improvements he had made to it. Merlin had mostly tuned it out, as he had listened to what had been said after they entered the truck. Once he had pulled himself away from that, he heard Gwaine mention, "You've gotta double pump the clutch, but other than that, you should be good."

                 It had been a while since Merlin had touched a standard vehicle, but he figured in the coming days he'd get plenty familiar with it again. He had been spoiled by his mother's automatic car, but he was not clueless.

                 "Alright, thanks."

                 Merlin paused, before interjecting into the short lived silence again.

                 "Do you want a ride to school, or something?"

                 Merlin felt compelled to ask, especially after Gwaine had put so much effort into restoring the pickup to its former glory. Plus it meant he didn't have to arrive all on his own.

                 "Oh, eh, I go to school at a nearby college. I graduated early, in your absence. It's amazing what I can do when you're not here to distract me."

                 Merlin grimaced. Of course, Gwaine went to college. He had known that, and yet had still forgotten completely.

                 "Oh yeah, right, right. It's too bad. It would've been nice to know one person."

                 Gwaine looked at Merlin with kind eyes, and an easy smile.

                 "You'll be alright, Merls. If you'd like, we can hang out on weekends like old times."

                 Merlin nodded.

                 "Of course."

                  Well, that was at least one gray area solved.

 


End file.
